Improvement in driving-wheels of locomotive engines



lUNITED STATES ALMOND F. COOPER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRIVING-WHEELS OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,014, datedSeptember 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMOND F. COOPER, of the city and county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented certain Improvements inDriving-Vheels of Locomotive Engin es and Wheels of Railroad Cars, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the interior of one side of adriving-wheel of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is an elevation of thecovering-plate of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section througha driving-wheel with my improvements applied thereto.

My present invention is particularlyapplicable to the driving-wheels oflocomotive engines, and may be also used to advantage in theconstruction of wheels of railroad cars generally, and my inventionconsists in a covering-plate, the outer edge of which is provided with aseries of projections or corrugations tting into the spaces between aseries of corresjionding projec tions or corrugations formed on theinner edge or flange of the outer surface of the hub or een ter of thewheel, the diameter of the coveringplate being less than that oftheinner edge ot the hub, in order that an elastic packing may beinterposed between them, by which construction the parts are moreett'cctually locked together and additional strength, durability, andelasticity are imparted to the wheel, the covering-plate being free toyield in the direction of its periphery or outer edge, and also in avertical direction, as required, the tendency to slip being arv restedby the projections of the plate forcing the packing against thecontiguous projections of the hub. The improvements herein referred tohave special relation to the invention covered by Letters Patent oftheUnited States No. 103,57 3, granted to me on the 31st day of May,1S70.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawing, A is the hub of a drivingwheel provided with acircular opening at its cen,- ter, in which snugly fits a boss orprojection of each of the covering-plates, B B, which are of lessdiameter than the opening in the hub in order that a rubber packing, C,may be interposed between them, the covering-plates being forced ontothe axle W in the ordinary way. The outer surface of each side ofthe hubhas projecting from it a circular liange, c, and a series of projectionsor corrugations, b, inside of the same at a distance from the centerequal to about that of the pin c, where the crank is connected. Theinner circular flange a is surrounded by a circular ring of rubber, d,and the diameter of the corrugated edge of the hub is suflicient toinclose a space large enough to receive a covering-plate, B, providedwith corresponding projections or corrugations c, the diameter of thecorrugated covering-plate being less than the diameter of the corrugatedhub in order that the elastic packing E may be interposed between them,and the diameter of the elastic packing E is suiiicient to allow it notonly to snugly iill the space between the plate and hub, but also to lapand fol d over the outer or corrugated edge ofthe covering-plate,whereby the plate is free to yield gradually in a vertical and lateraldirection, as well as in the direction of its periphery. On each side ofthe wheel A, within the space between the flange a, and the inner edgeor corrugated angc of the hub, is formed (in one end the same piece asthe wheel) a series of projections, j', surrounded by a series of rubbersleeves or thimbles, g, (sec Fig. 2,) which are of a greater length thanthe projectionsf, and tit into a series of circular recesses, l1., Fig'.3, formed in the coveringplate B, and extending through the packing E,secured thereto, the thickness of the portion of the plate where therecesses h are formed being increased at 5 to insure the necessarydegree of strength; and the depth of the recesses l1j is a little lessthan that ofthe elastic sleeves g, so that they will be compressed whenthe plates B are properly secured in place. These rubber sleeves act asbuffers or cushions, and, in connection with the elastic rings c d andpacking E, serve to support the weight upon the wheel, which is thusallowed to have a slight motion independently of Y the axle in passingaround curves, whereby the concussion and noise incident to wheels ofthe ordinary construction are avoided and the wear of the partsmaterially reduced. The principal ofliee of the buii'ers, however, is toprevent the wheel from turning independently of the plates B, which,after being fitted in place upon the sides of the wheels, are forced byhydraulic or other pressure, iuitil the packing E, sleeves g, and

the axle, and the Wheel With its plates is forced tightly thereon. Theseveral parts are made tapering, as usual, in order that they may bedrawn y from the molds in casting, the tapering of theparts alsofacilitating the packing of the same. From the foregoing it Will be seenthat the corrugations on the plates, and those on the hub with theelastic packing interposed, serve to counteract and overcome thetendency Which the crank has to revolve the plate independently of theWheel, the corrugations of the former compressing the packing againstthe corrugations of the latter and preventing the liability of slipping,Which otherwise might occur.

It is evident that my improvements may be ap plied With advantage in theconstruction ofthe Wheels of the ordinary railroad car Without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, but I design to apply my improvementsparticularly to the driving-Wheels of locomotives.

What I 'claim'as "my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The `covering-p lates B B and hub A, With their corrug'ations b e andprojections ff, in combination With the elastic packing C E and sleevesor thimbles g, the Whole constructed substantially as shoWn anddescribed.

Witness my hand this 29th day of May A. l). 1871.

ALMOND F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

N. W. STEARNS, L. E. BATGHELLER.

